Spark New Zealand is New Zealand’s largest digital services company delivering mobile, fixed and IT products and services to millions of New Zealand consumers and businesses.

The Business Challenge

The PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) is the fundamental, bedrock asset for most national Telecommunications operators. New Zealand’s largest operator, Spark (previously Telecom), runs a sophisticated Lifecycle Management Programme to ensure their PSTN operates efficiently and delivers the highest quality customer experience. Spark recognised that this Programme needed a single source of unique and trusted information, for related asset investment decisions.

The Solution

Partnering with the University of Auckland, Harmonic used advanced analytics (statistical and operations research techniques) to develop an innovative software solution for Spark.

Launched in 2004, the Asset Lifecycle Management Solution delivered substantial benefits within months of delivery. It has now become a key operational tool for Spark, providing monthly information updates to support spares management, failure analysis, disaster recovery and lifecycle planning.

Spark selected Harmonic as independent partner to develop a solution to specifically address these challenges.

The flexibility to model phasing investment without compromising service and support migration planning to new asset platforms

“Spark needed more certainty about our supply of spares for the PSTN equipment used for voice services to our customers. Harmonic brought world class skills to bear to build a dynamic model to predict when or if spares would run out. The model was so successful that, with improvements, now directly updates our spares inventory systems. The Harmonic model goes a long way to reduce risk to our voice service provision.”